Mineral County CO Archives Biographies.....Wilder, George Chaffee  July 15, 1864 - ?
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Judy Crook jlcrook@rof.net February 21, 2006, 8:14 pm

Author: Progressive Men of Western Colorado

     This enterprising citizen of Amethyst, Mineral county, is a native of

Colorado, born at Denver on July 15, 1864, and was named for his father’s close

friend and business associate, the late United States Senator Jerome B. Chaffee,

in whose honor Chaffee county was also named.  He is the son of William F. and

Esther (Mann) Wilder, the former born in New York state and the latter in

Wisconsin.  They were married at Buckskin Joe, now Alma, Colorado.  Previous to

coming to this state the father was engaged in the wholesale grocery trade in

Cincinnati, Ohio, and had some business interests in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1859

he, Mr. Chaffee and David H. Moffat crossed the plains in a private conveyance

consisting of a vehicle drawn by four mules, and after their arrival at Denver,

put in a line of freighting teams and opened a commission house.  They equipped

one of the finest trains in the west, using in its service three hundred mules.

 This was demolished in part by the Indians, and after its restoration was

confiscated by the United States government at the beginning of the Civil war. 

The elder Mr. Wilder then enlisted as captain of the First Colorado Volunteers,

and served for the time of his commission, fighting in 1863 in the battle in

which the Texans were defeated, after which he was promoted major.  He also

fought valiantly in the Sand Creek battle with the Indians.  In 1863 the

government paid for the teams previously taken, and with the money Mr. Wilder

and Mr. Chaffee went to mining at Central City.  They located good claims,

increased their output, bought a large claim in addition, then went broke.  They

continued mining, however, going to Leadville in 1879, securing paying

properties, retaining them until the company was formed to operate the Maxwell

grant.  Soon afterward the main man in the enterprise died, but they continued

operations two years, then abandoned their undertaking and sought other fields

which they worked until 1886, when they moved to Denver, where they made their

headquarters and continued to work their Leadville interests until 1892.  Then

Wilder returned to his Gilpin county claims.  The flood of 1892 in the property

made it necessary that the mines be retimbered, which Mr. Wilder did, at a cost,

with other improvements, of twenty thousand dollars, and after all was

completed, the entire work caved in and all was lost.  Mr. Wilder was a radical

and influential Republican in politics, and a Freemason in fraternal life.  He

died on February 10, 1893.  Five of his children survive him, George C.; Fred

W., a mine superintendent at Cripple Creek; Mrs. Edwin L. Coats, of Boulder;

Clifton H., of La Jara, a member of the last Colorado legislature, and Rose, who

lives at Littleton.  

     George C. Wilder attended the common and high schools and the State

University at Boulder, receiving a good commercial education, spending two years

at the university.  He did good business in Denver as a sign writer and in the

paint and wall paper business, and opened the first meat market at Littleton, in

partnership with Charles Cummings.  At the end of two years and a half he sold

out and in 1888 and 1889 served as foreman of Mann & Archer’s stock ranch on

Platte river and Deer creek.  In the winter of 1891 he was associated with the

Union Live Stock Company and in 1892 moved to Creede and took a hand in the

mining industry, leasing mines and sub-leasing them, continuing this line until

1896, and in 1894 and 1895 served as foreman at the Bachelor mines when the

tunnel was made on through to the Commodore mines.  He and his men are credited

with having struck the first pick on the Commodore, and he also received the

first checks issued by the Commodore company.  In 1896 he purchased what was

left after several months’ business in partnership with Samuel Motz, bought him

out, since when he has conducted the paper and its adjunct job printing alone.

He has made many improvements in his plant and equipment until he now has one of

the best printing offices in the southwestern part of the state.  His paper is a

weekly, and has a large general circulation in its tributary territory, and the

office is also able to meet all demands of the jobbing trade.  Mr. Wilder, like

his father, is a Republican in politics, unwavering in his faith and untiring in

his service to his party.  Fraternally he is an Elk, a Mason and a Woodman of

the World.  He has shown his interest in the welfare of his city by serving as

alderman. He is also chief of the Creede fire department.  On December 11, 1895,

he was married to Miss Lola E. Motz, a native of Guthrie county, Iowa.  In

addition to his newspaper and printing business, Mr. Wilder has mining interests

and city property of value.  

Additional Comments:
From Progressive Men of Western Colorado.  Chicago:  A.W. Bowen & Co., 1905  

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/mineral/bios/wilder165gbs.txt

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